NEWKIRK: Shepherd resigns from WEHT/WTVW

Eyewitness News political reporter and weekend anchor David Shepherd has resigned.

Shepherd, whose last day with WEHT and WTVW was March 25, says that he’s returning to his native Washington, D.C., where he plans to become a part of solving our country’s issues “from the inside.”

“After much thought and prayer, I decided that with all the problems we face in this country, to return to Washington,” Shepherd told me last week.

Shepherd joined the former NEWS 25 in 2010 and remained with WEHT when the news departments of that station and WTVW were merged in late 2011. Before that, he was a reporter for Terre Haute NBC affiliate WTWO and freelanced for Washington station WJLA and CNN’s “Crossfire.”

14 NEWS, WEVV 44 lead in sweeps

The results are in from the February sweeps in the Evansville market and 14 NEWS is the winner by a clear margin, although the race is somewhat tighter than in years past.

“For decades, 14WFIE has been the (dominant) station and we would like to thank our viewers for keeping us No. 1 and growing our viewership over the years,” said Brandon Ridge, WFIE’s marketing director.

You can see the complete news numbers at jakesdtvblog.com.

While 14 claims news ratings leadership, CBS44 WEVV is doing quite well for itself in entertainment. In the Tri-State, the station has the top talk show (“Dr. Phil”), top 4 p.m. program (“Ellen”), top prime-time lineup (thanks to CBS) and top entertainment magazine show (“Entertainment Tonight”).

Former 14WFIE reporter dies at 70

Former TV reporter Allen Tumey, who worked at 14WFIE for several years between reporting stints in Louisiana, has died. Tumey, 70, was found by family members at his Lake Charles, La., home.

Tumey, who retired from 14’s Baton Rouge sister station WAFB in 2011, was well-known for his fine storytelling ability and was a viewer favorite at the three stations where he worked.

Music ministries gets OK to build new radio station

It’s been almost two years since the FCC originally selected them, but Evansville-based Music Ministries, Inc. (MMI) finally has a construction permit to build a new noncommercial educational (NCE) radio station on 94.5 FM in Smith Mills, Ky.

MMI owns and operates WBGW in Fort Branch, Ind., WBHW in Loogootee, Ind., WBJW in Albion, Ill., and W293AT in Owensboro, Ky. Those stations make up the Thy Word Network, which broadcasts Christian-centered programming. It isn’t much of a stretch to presume the as-yet-unlettered 94.5 will do likewise in a portion of the Tri-State not yet reached by the network.

CANCELED: Judge Joe Brown

CBS Television Distribution (CTD) announced last week that “Judge Joe Brown” will not return for a 16th season this fall.

The show, which airs locally on FOX44 WEVV, debuted in the fall of 1998, and is typically the second-most-popular court show, behind Judge Judy. Recently its ratings have been slipping, which led to calls from CTD for Brown to take a pay cut. When he refused, according to news reports, the show was canceled.